Dumbass judge set himself up for some real problems of sentencing appeals for future DUI cases - anyone can get out of jail time now, or accuse him of not providing due process and violating the 14th Amendment.

I'm not anti-cop as much as I'm anti-abuse of force, abuse of civil liberties, etc. While many of you are complaining about favoritism and the Thin Blue Line, I can tell you firsthand that the treatment that this cop received is not unheard of for those that need to drive for a living.

Years ago when I was a LEO, I arrested a woman that was involved in a drunk driving accident. She blew a .28...and because she happened to be a school bus driver for the city, she was not ordered any jail time and was given probation (first offense) as well as court-ordered treatment. This woman was a stone-cold alcoholic (was at a run at her house a month earlier for a domestic where she was so drunk she could barely stand). I had a similar incident with a truck driver who wrecked his car (single car accident). In both cases, it was their first offense .neither I nor the prosecutor disagreed with no jail plus probation and mandatory alcohol treatment.

While I certainly don't want someone driving drunk, I also don't want to ruin their livelihood and give them a chance to clean up. Judges and prosecutors are also sympathetic so long as they haven't hurt or killed anyone. If they drive drunk again, throw the book at them....but most people deserve a chance to clean up. Besides, someone that can't work, can't pay fines.

We had a cop that showed up to work in uniform and drunk. He had a history of alcoholism but had been sober for a couple years. When the LT called the alcohol enforcement car back in right after the shift started...we heard when we got back that he was drunk again. He wasn't fired...he went to rehab again and was back on the job after a couple months. I don't know what set him off drinking that day, but with any alcoholic...you never now. Cops have a high alcoholism rate for a reason...it's a crappy job which is why I quit after 2 years. It's hard to see futility, pain and suffering every day. I'd be an alcoholic or would have swallowed my gun.

Keeve:FTA: The 11-year veteran of the SDPD was ordered to five years probation including DUI classes and 25 days of public work service.

Umm, isn't that pretty standard for a first-time offense? I know a few people that have had a DUI and none of them served jail time. Or should I ignore that fact and jump on the cop-hating band wagon and suggest that this is somehow an indicator of the end of the world?

Did these other peoples arrest also include an accident with property damage? Traveling at 30 mph over posted limit?

This judge should be removed from the bench and be subject to a judicial review board. All officers whose responsibility to have the alleged drunk driver detective's blood drawn in a timely manner should be removed from duty. Did the DUI suspect pay for the damages to the city owned vehicle? Police and other government employees must obey the same laws the general public does.

I think the county is also afraid that any arrest this detective might have been involved with would immediately be appealed. This happened by me after a cop was busted with pain killers. Cases he had started to get dismissed almost immediately.

They do that here too, but without saying the officer's job was the reason. The magistrate drops the DUI charge because the officer's breath test was delayed. Apparent intoxication with no breath test is enough to take a civilian's case to trial. The prosecutor makes an illegal plea bargain (waiving mandatory jail time for DUI hit and run with injury), but nobody has standing to object.

Under federal sentencing guidelines losing your job as a police officer is not grounds to get a lower sentence. The Supreme Court decided that in one of the Rodney King cases.